Sean Marshall This Universal Tournament arc has had its ups & downs, but with the last six minutes of the tournament looming over Universe 7 & Universe 11’s heads, the battle is definitely weighing in on the heavy side with it’s action. We left off with 17 squaring off with a God-like level Toppo that brushed Frieza off to the side like he was a mere ragdoll. This powered up Toppo cares for nothing but victory & even though he is holding back to not kill any of his opponents, he is still a major threat to )the remaining warriors of Universe 7.
With Frieza left unconscious by the edge of the fighting area, Toppo is focusing all of his brute strength & destructive power on 17, who seems to be temporarily holding his own. 17’s unlimited energy proved to only get him so far when his plan to take down Toppo with the pillar he destroyed. Toppo brushed that attack off & was about to kill 17 until Frieza, in his base form, destroyed the enrgy attack he was about to use to take out 17. Of course, Frieza’s arrogance blinded him from seeing that he is no match for Toppo & he was once again brushed aside.
Frieza & 17 going up against Toppo has to be one of my favorite & non-generic team-ups I’ve seen throughout this arc & series. You have two of the most ruthless villains in Dragon Ball history teaming up to take down a god-like being to retain the survival of their universe.
After taking notice of Goku & Vegeta’s battle against Jiren & their energy, Toppo decides to leave 17 & Frieza to help Jiren even out the score with Goku & Vegeta, especially since Jiren’s attack seemingly hit 17 & Friza & temporarily removed them from the battle. If there’s one thing you have to appreciate about the writing from Akira Toriyama in this arc or at least for the last few episodes in this arc, it’s that he’s definitely leaving viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering if Universe 7 will pull through this battle or not. Who would’ve thought the last fighters left on Universe 7’s team would be 17, Frieza, Goku & Vegeta? It was a given that Goku & Vegeta would remain & some speculated Frieza would stay, but I like that Toriyama has kept 17 around this long & has made him hold his own against Toppo, a candidate for the next God of Destruction.
The Toppo & Vegeta fight was entertaining & had a deeper meaning that might’ve flown over a few fans heads. You see, this wasn’t a match of the mighty versus the prideful, this was a match a old vs new. In other words, Vegeta was fighting his past self through Toppo. Toppo represented the Vegeta that once threw everything away for power; we saw this Vegeta take the spotlight in the Majin Vegeta saga in Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama even took us back to that saga when Vegeta was using his self destruct technique to knock Toppo out. Another hint of this is when Vegeta is thinking about his family & Cabbage, who he wants to wish back.
The battle between Vegeta & Toppo was honestly one-sided but still thought-provoking. I like how the overall battle focused in Toppo & Vegeta, because it gave some clarity to the meaning of this battle & it’s connection to Vegeta.
Now with Toppo gone & only four minutes left in the tournament, it looks as though Jiren is getting ready to release his full power against 17, Goku & Vegeta. Yes, Frieza is still alive, but he’s most likely observing the match to 
see when he can jump in & attack. It was a victorious scene for Vegeta fans to see Jiren give him praise for defeating Toppo. This episode was without a doubt one of the best in this arc & it will probably leave Vegeta fans with much more ammo to fire at Goku fans, especially since Vegeta beat a warrior that is in line to become the next God of Destruction.
Dragon Ball Super, Episode 126 - "Surpass Even a God! Vegeta's Desperate Blow!!" Review
Pros
- Vegeta vs Toppo was highly entertaining & the meaning behind the battle was deep
- Throughly enjoying Frieza & 17 teaming up
- The balance between Toppo & Jiren's battles were well-placed
- Non-stop action
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